By Jason Orts

Tribune-Herald staff writer

It didn’t take long for Midway to realize that this isn’t 2007 any more — in fact, it took only two matches.

With an 0-2 start, the Pantherettes had already taken more losses then they did a year ago, when they finished 47-1 and claimed the school’s first state volleyball championship.

With the loss of six seniors — including Class 4A player of the year Jordan Rice and three other Super Centex performers — Midway coach Janet Angell admitted it was difficult to put last season in the past.

“But that is what you must do,” she said. “It was a great memory — now it’s time to make new memories.”

Angell is looking for a new cast of stars to come to the forefront and lead this year’s team. But she said expectations for the Pantherettes, ranked No. 6 in the Texas Girls Coaches Association preseason poll, haven’t changed.

“The returners and myself are going to have to practice patience with our new faces,” she said. “The expectations are not different. How we get there may be. We will be good, it just may take us awhile to gel.”

The district race will be different as well. The Pantherettes remained in 16-4A, but Waxahachie and Midlothian, both of which reached the regional quarterfinals last season, joined them.

But while changes have come from the loss of proven, veteran players, Angell is still at Midway. Stacy Meyers, on the other hand, is taking on an entirely new challenge.

Meyers built China Spring into a Class 3A power but left one group of Lady Cougars behind for another this season. She is now the coach at Reicher, a school that has been in the playoffs in recent years but hasn’t been able to advance out of the first round.

“It’s been a big change,” she said. “I had a lot of all-around players at China Spring. At Reicher, we will have a lot of role players. We’re trying to instill a winning mentality and convince them that they deserve to win like anyone else.”

China rolling along

The school she left behind, China Spring, definitely believes it deserves to win with new coach Jeff Cornell.

Despite losing Meyers and her daugher, two-time Super Centex player of the year Karlyn, off last year’s regional finalist, the Cougars were ranked No. 3 in the TGCA Class 3A poll.

China Spring has moved to District 7-3A in Region I — as has Gatesville, No. 9 in the TGCA poll, and West, last year’s 12-3A champion. Playoff teams Groesbeck and Lorena are now in District 19-3A, where Mexia is the defending champion.

Crawford looks for more

One place that change hasn’t found is Crawford, where coach Jeff Coker returns eight players from a team that won a district title last season. With Super Centex newcomer of the year Taylor Nix and district setter of the year Kristen Chapman leading the way, the Lady Pirates have their sights set even higher.

“The expectation is to win district again, but it’s a really tough district with Clifton, Moody, Bruceville-Eddy and Troy, so I really don’t know what to expect,” Coker said. “The last two years were the first times we’ve made the playoffs, but we haven’t won a playoff game yet. We’re hoping to do that and hopefully make a run.”

Kopperl tops area 1As

A team that made a run last season — all the way to its first state tournament — is Kopperl, which returns Super Centex standout Reagan Smith. But the Lady Eagles, ranked No. 9 in the 1A TGCA poll, will need to replace a pair of Smiths from last year’s team — Reagan’s mother Trava, who coached Kopperl last year, and sister Jordan, also a Super Centex performer.

Other 1A schools to watch are district champions Frost and Evant, while Blum, Milford and Bynum are all coming off of playoff appearances.

jorts@wacotrib.com

757-5717

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Gwen Doyen, Jr., S, Bruce- ville-Eddy (552 assists, 93 aces)

Kali Ketner, Sr., OH/DS, China Spring (Led team in digs, second in kills)

Kristen Chapman, Sr., S, Crawford, (District setter of year, 623 assists)

Kelsey Phillips, Sr., S, Gatesville (Unanimous 17-3A setter of year)

Reagan Smith, Sr. MB, Kopperl (461 kills, 333 digs)

Krystal Beachum, Sr., OH, Mexia (348 kills, 19-3A co-MVP)

Jordan Pickett, Sr., MB/OH, Temple (423 kills, 264 digs)

Taylor Nix, Jr., MB, Crawford (Unanimous 12-2A MVP, 456 kills)

Kayla Hines, So., OH, Robinson (17-3A newcomer of year)